Pentagon briefing - Wed. Apr. 9: Baghdad Liberation Day!
SOD Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. Richard Myers:
SOD Rumsfeld:
"This is a good day for the Iraqi people."
"There is no question but there are difficult and very dangerous days ahead...but anyone seeing the faces of the liberated Iraqis has to say this is a very good day."
Coalition forces nothing short of spectacular.
"As the Iraqis see the coalition progress they are losing their fear. I think it's safe to say that (things are) tipping..at least in Baghada...we're seeing history unfold...Saddam Hussein is now taking his rightful place ( beside Hitler, etc.,..this is a great speech...get the transcript!)
As we watch Iraqis unfurl the banner of freedom today..all American share in their joy..."
To the family of the American who ahe given their lives for this war...they made this pssible..their sacrifice is (allowing) the liberation of a people. To the Iraqi people who are not yet free..I've seen Pres. Bush almost every day since this conflict began and I can assure you (that he is committed to seeing this regime over)
The regime has been run out of a number of iRaqi towns...we still must capture and otherwise account for Saddam Hussein and (co) and find and account for POWs, secure northern oil fields, find and secure Iraq's WMDs and Iraq's borders, find out all we can about how Iraqi regime acquired its capabilities (and the countries involved...rewards are available.) Good lives and a better future are available to all who turn themselves in..."
We must locate the Baath Party, Fedayee, SRG, (stolen wealth so it can be returned to the Iraqi people)..help pave the way for new Irawi gove...chosen by the Iraqi people.
To the Iraqi people, there are a lot of reporters embedded with the coaltion forces...this is the opportunity to tell them your stories...so history is not repeated.. To the free journalists..this is your opportunity to tell the story."
Gen. Myers:
"We have made great strides in the last three weeks."
Out west small no. of death squads exist and are harrassing...we seized a small town no. of Mosul, more must be done in bagdhad.,..fighting inside Baghdad sti
I have two special messages: One "To those who may be holding coalition POWs - permit the Red Cross to visit them. (The Gen. Conv. demands it. We expect our people to be treated well.)...
Second -"To the families of the Afghan citizens accidentally killed in a bombing yesterday we send our sincere condolences...(we accidentally hit a house, killed 11 people.)
Questions:
Re. Humanitarian aid. R: "What's happening now is that the humanitarian assistance is coming in. That doesn't mean the humanitarian situation is worse. Just the contrary...(.people coming in might see a crisis...but where there was no water, now there is). "Water supplies are above pre-war levels, sufficient food and electricity is availiable, port is cleared, rail line is cleared...etc, etc. (Rummy nailing the press...we are helping humanitarily...Big Time..please read transcript...a reporter actually almost apologized!)...
GM: "It really doesn't matter where Gen. Garner and his group is. They are acting now ...electrical grid, etc..".he's the one overseeing that now"..
R: "Planes are already going in (to Baghdad airport.).."
Do you think Saddam Hussein's still alive? R: "Dont' know." Was he in the building? R: "Don't know." Bret Baier tries for #3 question, Rummy denies. (^:
GM: 'There are about 10 plus reg. army div. left in the north and perhaps one brig. of RG. They have been subjected to bombing by air power...will continue to (be subjected to that for a long time.)
R: "I happen to think that Gen. Franks has done a (superb) job. (our troops, too) " I think the outcome is in the process of speaking for itself."
Re. rescuing POWs, GM: "The reason for my remarks is to not let the Iraqi regime off the hook...clearly the US military is very concerned about the whereabouts of these people. I am not going to get into any more oppo. details..".Always, it's always one of our first priorities to bring our people back."
R: "It's important to recognize how exhillerated the Iraqi people who have been liberated are....(and feel for those who are not yet free) There's a lot of work yet to do. I do think, in the case of Baghdad, that it's tipping...you can't know that...it's not knowable (how long it will take to free all of Iraq)...
Re. the regime loyalists that disappeared from Baghdad: "R: "We are getting scraps of info that Syria has been cooperative in moving people out...people from Syria moving into Iraq- unhelpfully...night vision goggles and that sort of thing." "Rewards..they're very important. There are carrots and sticks and we need help. People to come forward ..so the Baath Party members can be known..so we can find documentation...on WMD programs...we are at a point now where they need not fear. They need not fear because this regime is not going to come back and occupy this country."
GM:" I suspect that many were killed (many left and blended in)..(we're taking steps - checking roads out of Baghdad)
R: "You bet we're concerned that WMDs may have been shipped out of the country (and into the hands of terrorist networks). It is important for us to see that that doesn't happen."
R: "We are in the process of trying to liberate that country....it obviously is important (to find WMDs)..
R: "We've not seen anything to indicate that...(Kurds going wild on news of Baghdad being freed).. communications are imperfect (intentionally)..
R: "It clearly would be unhelpful if terrorists got their hands on some of Iraq's chem or bio. (weapons).."
Re. Saddam, again- R: "Exactly what is it about him that you are interested in? There is no question that it is hard to find a dingle person. It;'s hard to find them when they're alive and mobile. It's hard to find them when they're buried under rubble." "Who knows." "Time will tell." The regime will change.... "They might even have a free press eventually there."
GM "The C&C has been degraded..no organized resistance from RG in Bagdhad. (sporadic)..the rest are pretty much static, falling back from the green line..."
R: "There is no question that there are a number of television stations (in the mid east) and print that carried a message that was false. Tried to get the people to believe we were fighting the Iraqi people, and that we were opposed to their religion...we'll do our job. We'll do it well...and we'll leave as that country is set on a path to guide it's own future...."Truth ultimately find its way to a people's ears and eyes and hearts. Does it make me sad to see (lies told)?..yes, it bothers me. what can one do except to tell the truth. behave in a way that's consistent with one's values. I think we've done this..."
GM: "It was the United States and the Coalition willing to put our (lives on the line ) for a couple of (mid east coutries - to free their people) and I hoped that was noticed. "It was our blood and treasure put on the line." (we have no desire to stay)..
R: "The reporters embedded had to see (the truth of our wonderful troops) and they'll come back and tell.."